DNR announces surplus salmon available to public again this fall

LANSING, MI – The public again this year is invited to purchase surplus salmon that has been harvested at Michigan Department of Natural Resources weirs around the state.

Retail locations throughout the northern Lower Peninsula will offer surplus salmon (like the Chinook salmon pictured here) for purchase this fall, following their harvest by the DNR

Seasonal salmon runs include large numbers of fish returning to their native streams to spawn and die. The DNR maintains multiple sites (weirs) where fisheries biologists and technicians collect eggs and milt (sperm) from Chinook and coho salmon for use in state fish hatcheries. Once egg-take needs are met, fish in prime physical condition are made available to the public by American-Canadian Fisheries, a private vendor that assists the DNR with the salmon harvest.

The vendor harvests the salmon for human- and pet-food markets, as well as excess eggs for bait and caviar markets, and pays the DNR a flat per-pound rate for the salmon and eggs collected. They then make suitable-quality fish available wholesale to distributors who market the fish.

“We work closely with ACF to maintain a professional approach to dealing with the returning salmon and ensure the harvest is done in the most environmentally friendly way,” said Aaron Switzer, the DNR’s northern Lower Peninsula hatchery manager. “The number of fish returning to our rivers is large enough that the DNR needs the assistance of private partners like ACF to help in this area of fishery management.”

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends caution when eating certain kinds and sizes of fish from Michigan lakes and streams. For current advisories, the Eat Safe Fish Guide should be consulted. It is available online at michigan.gov/eatsafefish or by contacting the department at 1-800-648-6942.